Roswell is a city in and the seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 48,422, making it the fifth-most populous city in New Mexico. It is home of the New Mexico Military Institute, founded in 1891. The city is also the location of an Eastern New Mexico University campus. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located a few miles northeast of the city on the Pecos River.